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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017842

Police have arrested a man accused of stealing seats used by Manchester United and Liverpool reserve players during last Tuesday’s match at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok.

The arrest came after CCTV cameras at the stadium spotted a group of people carrying away four of the dugout chairs and loading them on to a white truck at 6am on Saturday.

Two of the stolen chairs were for Manchester United reserve players, while the other two were for Liverpool reserve players.

The suspects managed to escape after security guards at the stadium assumed they had been sent by the match organiser to collect the chairs.

Police have also seized the suspect’s truck, Metropolitan Police Division 4 chief Pornchai Kajonklin said on Sunday. There was no news on whether the stolen chairs had been retrieved.

Vinij Lertratanachai, CEO of match organiser Fresh Air Festival, confirmed the chairs had been made exclusively for the pre-season clash between the two Premier League giants.

He said the chairs had been kept at the stadium for a media event on Friday evening.

Manchester United got their pre-season off to a flying start with a 4-0 rout of arch-rivals Liverpool in Bangkok, handing new manager Erik ten Hag a big boost in his first match in charge.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017841

More than 5 million digital lottery tickets were snapped by Paotang users in the first seven hours after being put on sale on Sunday morning.

Lawan Saengsanit, chairman of the Government Lottery Office (GLO)’s board of directors, said 7,167,500 digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw had been put on sale at 6am on Sunday and 5,143,748 had been bought up by 1pm. The tickets were bought by 737,634 users of Krung Thai Bank’s Paotang app.

This is the fourth lot of digital lottery tickets sold by the GLO at 80 baht each, and the lot has been increased from 5.15 million to 7.17 million in response to surging demand.

Lawan said the GLO will gradually increase the number of lottery tickets by one or two million per draw.

He said this gradual increase will give small vendors time to adjust, adding that the GLO will try to strike a balance between the two sorts of tickets to help small-time vendors survive.

He also dismissed rumours that the digital lottery tickets were being snapped up by a handful of people to resell at their websites. It has been alleged that these rumours were started by angry vendors unable to sell their tickets due to the popularity of the digital version.

Lawan said data shows that the 5.1 million digital tickets for the previous draw had been bought by some 900,000 individuals, which means each person bought only five or six tickets. He said there was no indication that any one person bought an unusually high number of tickets.

He also said that the GLO did not find any large-scale vendors reselling digital tickets, but did catch and take action against some small vendors who were reselling them.

Meanwhile, GLO director Noon Sansanakhom on Sunday warned people against buying previously bought digital lottery tickets. He explained that the Paotang app records details of who has bought the ticket and since digital tickets cannot legally be resold, the initial buyer will be the winner.

“If you buy tickets from someone else, you will have problems in claiming the winnings,” he said.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017840

The Public Health Ministry has called an urgent meeting with Bangkok’s governor on Monday to prepare measures for a new wave of Covid-19 in the city.

Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit said Bangkok hospitals were now admitting more than 1,000 new Covid patients per day, so preparations for a possible new wave were necessary.

Kiattiphum said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt would join Monday’s meeting of the public health emergency operations committee. Chadchart chairs Bangkok’s communicable disease control committee and his cooperation would be sought to issue measures to control the surge of new Covid cases, Kiattiphum said.

He warned that Bangkok was at heightened risk from Covid surges because it had a large population who travelled a lot and were socially active.

As a result, City Hall should curb risky activities while hospitals in the capital must prepare for an influx of new Covid patients, he said.

About 2,000 Covid cases were being admitted to hospitals nationwide every day, but more than half of these were in Bangkok, Kiattiphum said. The new patients were categorised as “yellow” or “red” cases (moderate or severe symptoms).

Covid patients currently occupy only 13 per cent of hospital beds nationwide, but that rate has risen to 42 per cent in Bangkok.

“So, we need to make preparations by managing hospital beds,” Kiattiphum said.

The BMA would coordinate Covid preparations at all Bangkok health facilities, including private hospitals.

“The Public Health Ministry will provide full support for the preparations,” Kiattiphum said.

He also urged people to protect themselves by getting a booster shot every four months.

On Sunday, the Public Health Ministry reported that Thailand recorded 2,028 new Covid-19 infections and 18 fatalities over the previous 24 hours.

The Public Health Ministry estimates the caseload will rise to 30,000 per day in September, driven by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017839

An overwhelming majority of Thais say they are not interested in using cannabis for recreational purposes, according to a Super Poll survey published on Sunday.

Cannabis was removed from Thailand’s narcotics list on June 9, allowing people to grow the herb for medical and commercial use.

The poll surveyed 2,125 adults across the country from July 13 to 16.

Asked if they were interested in using cannabis for recreation, 96.6 per cent said no, since the herb was legalised for medical use. Only 3.4 per cent said they were interested in recreational use.

Asked for their opinions on cannabis legalisation, 91.1 said the herb was legalised for medical use, 84.6 per cent agreed that measures are needed to deal with people who use cannabis improperly, 83.5 per cent said recreational use is wrong, 65.9 per cent said it was legalised to help people, and 63.7 per cent said people should register to grow cannabis in order to curb imports of the herb.

Asked which source they rely on for information about cannabis, 89.4 per cent said the Public Health Ministry, 85.2 per cent said Thai traditional doctors, 63.8 per cent said local doctors and 61.4 per cent said social media.

Asked for their view on cannabis legalisation, 82.7 per cent agreed with legalisation for medical use as it would benefit people, while 17.3 per cent disagreed, citing a lack of clear measures and information to regulate the use of cannabis.

Asked whether attacks on cannabis legalisation were a ploy by politicians aimed at undermining their rivals, 92.4 per cent said yes, while 7.6 per cent said no.

Super Poll Research Centre director Noppadon Kannika said the poll indicated that most Thais are aware that legalisation aims to give people, especially the poor, access to Thai traditional treatment.

It also showed that Thais are aware of the need for measures to regulate the use of cannabis in medicine and food.

He added that Thais saw attacks on cannabis legalisation as political scheming because they are already aware that legalisation has both benefits and dangers. Instead, the government and opposition should work together to ensure that people can use cannabis for medical purposes safely, he said.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017837

A leading virologist at Chulalongkorn University has urged people to take a rapid antigen test immediately if they develop mild respiratory symptoms.

Dr Yong Poovorawan, chief of the university’s Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, said prompt testing using ATK kits could minimise the spread of new Covid-19 Omicron subvariants.

Posting on Facebook, Dr Yong said self-testing was necessary because the new subvariants usually cause only mild or no symptoms.

He said people with a sore throat, dry cough, hoarse voice, runny nose or nasal congestion should take an ATK test immediately.

“If you test positive, you will get treatment in time and reduce the spread. You don’t have to wait until you develop breathing problems,” Yong said.

He said few people develop high fever or headaches after getting the new Covid strains, so they should monitor for mild symptoms and take an ATK test accordingly.

The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of Omicron are driving a new wave of infections in Thailand, with health authorities forecasting the caseload will rise to 30,000 per day by September.

On Sunday, Thailand recorded 2,028 new cases and 18 fatalities over the previous 24 hours.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017836

An army of lottery vendors from Loei has descended on Bangkok in a bid to oust the Government Lottery Office (GLO) chief and board over the introduction of digital lottery tickets.

The group of about 500 vendors was led by Jirasak Noikam, who said he was a tentative general election candidate for the ruling Palang Pracharath Party.

The vendors travelled from the Northeast province in a convoy of 14 chartered buses.

Jirsak said the group would rally in front of Government House at 4pm on Sunday to call on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to sack the GLO director and board and guarantee quotas of lottery tickets for vendors.

The group would stay in Bangkok for two days of protest, he added.

The vendors are unhappy about the GLO’s new digital lottery tickets sold via the Paotang app.

The digital system was launched to combat overpricing that has plagued the government lottery for years. The Paotang digital lottery tickets are sold at the original price of 80 baht. They have proved so popular with the public that vendors are complaining they no longer have customers for their paper tickets.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017834

Health officials on Sunday urged people returning from the long holiday to take rapid-antigen tests if they have Covid-like symptoms amid a forecasted surge in cases.

Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of Health Department, said those who visited other provinces during the holiday for Asahna Bucha should monitor their symptoms after they return home.

“Please regularly check your condition. If you develop a cough, sore throat, fever, muscle pain, runny nose, or headache after visiting risk areas without properly protecting yourself, please take an ATK test before returning to work,” Suwanchai said.

He said people should take an ATK test if they had spent more than four hours on public transport or visited crowded places.

Free ATK test kits could be ordered via the Paotang app to pick up at a local pharmacy, he said. Or people can also use their identification card to receive free test kits directly from pharmacies, he added.

Meanwhile those who test positive but have mild symptoms can receive free medicine as outpatients from hospitals where they are registered for free treatment.

They should then isolate at home for five days and then monitor themselves closely for five more days. During the five-day self-monitoring, they must wear face masks and practice social distancing when they leave home, Suwanchai said.

Those who return to work during the five-day monitoring period must practice prevention measures by wearing masks, frequently cleansing hands with alcohol and distancing from other co-workers.

The director-general also urged workplaces to take precautions by providing alcohol for cleaning hands at entrances, in front of lifts, and inside washrooms.

On Sunday, the Public Health Ministry reported that Thailand recorded 2,028 new Covid-19 infections over the previous 24 hours, with 18 deaths.

Hospitals have been ordered to prepare for a surge in cases driven by the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The Public Health Ministry estimates the caseload will rise to 30,000 per day in September.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017831

High-net-worth tourists appear to be returning to Thailand now that travel restrictions have been lifted, and one of the biggest signs is cruise ships dotting the horizon.

One such ship was the Cloudbreak superyacht owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov, which was spotted anchored near Koh Samui on Saturday.

Svetakov, 54, is the second billionaire to arrive in the area in a superyacht. The first was UK businessman and investor Joe Lewis, 85, who anchored on the coast of Surat Thani in mid-May.

The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre inspected the 3.9-billion-baht yacht and ensured all 13 passengers and six crew were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 according to the Public Health Ministry’s criteria.

Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto said Svetakov’s arrival proves that the islands of Samui, Tao and Pha-ngan have great potential in attracting tourists.

He said the Marine Department is planning to construct a port for cruise ships at the Hin Khom cape on the coast of Samui and will generate a lot of revenue once completed.

“Before the pandemic, the number of cruise ships from Europe and Singapore entering Koh Samui every year had risen from 48 to 64,” he said, adding that more than 200,000 cruise ship passengers were transferred to the island per year on average.

Svetakov, a property developer and chairman of Absolut Group, took receipt of the 75-metre-long Cloudbreak from German shipbuilders Abeking and Rasmussen in 2016.

Cloudbreak can accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites comprising a master suite, three double cabins and two twin cabins. The superyacht also features a helipad and an outdoor swimming pool.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017827

The fourth lot of 7 million digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw went on sale via the Paotang application on Sunday.

Asurge in demand has prompted the Government Lottery Office (GLO) to increase the number of tickets from 5.15 million to 7 million.

The first lot of 5.17 million digital tickets for the June 16 draw were snapped up in five days, while the second lot of 5.15 million tickets for the July 1 draw were bought up in three days. However, the third lot of 5.15 million tickets for the July 17 draw were snapped up in 28 hours – a record since the new digital lottery system was introduced on June 2.

The authorities launched this new system to tackle the problem of overpricing. Now people can choose their favourite numbers and purchase as many lottery tickets as they desire at 80 baht each via the Paotang app.

Winners can claim their prize via the following methods within 15 days of the draw:

• Get the winnings transferred to the winner’s bank account within 12 hours after a transfer fee of 1 per cent is deducted.

• Pick up the prize at the GLO office in Nonthaburi. Winners must call GLO in advance at (02) 528 9682 and (02) 528 9732, so the office can send the original ticket back to the winners. This method costs 0.5 per cent stamp duty.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017826

Fake news about the Bangkok outdoor film festival, “Krung Thep Klang Plang”, was among the most shared topics on social media from July 8 to 14, the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry said on Sunday.

DES spokesperson Noppawan Huajaiman said apart from the film festival holding the top two spots, the Anti-Fake News Centre found 186 other fraudulent reports. Of the fake reports, 78 were related to health, 18 of which were on Covid-19.

Noppawan Huajaiman

According to the DES Ministry, the top 10 most shared fake reports are:

• The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) paid 8 million baht for each screen used in the outdoor film festival.

• The Bangkok governor blocked media outlets from reporting news of lightning hitting a film venue.

• Krungthai Bank is offering loans that can be paid off in instalments of 300 baht and the loan is approved in five minutes via Line.

• Leaked chats from the Department of Disease Control director-general’s Line account.

• The Thai Meteorological Department issued a warning of severe conditions caused by summer storms. (Thailand is only hit with heavy rain and thundershowers during the rainy season.)

• The Government Savings Bank is offering 50,000-baht loans to people from all professions daily.

• The Thai Meteorological Department has warned residents in 17 provinces to beware of storms between July 12 and 18.

• The Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency approved the use of fuel-saving electricity cables.

• Aspirin helps whiten the skin.

• Ways of checking cerebrovascular disease by yourself.

Published : July 17, 2022

By : THE NATION